Learning like a Hurricane

by | Jun 24, 2011 | Less Teacher, More Student, The How of 21st Century Teaching, Voices, Web Tools That Deepen Learning

So it’s summer, and I’m on my back porch thinking about my teaching over the past year and wondering what I did well and where I could improve. I can be quite philosophical about it in June. But come August, I want a sharp, logically designed, power-packed unit to start off the year. I want to set the bar high and give my students room to find out what they’re made of.

VOICES Interview: Ferlazzo's top picks for 21stC teaching and learning

by | Jun 20, 2011 | The How of 21st Century Teaching, Voices, Web Tools That Deepen Learning

California high school teacher (English/ESL) and resources guru Larry Ferlazzo is famous for the “Best of…” lists at his home cyberturf: Websites of the Day. He has well over 600 of them, the last time we looked. Our idea for this interview is basically to pick Larry’s brain and garner some of his best of the best of the best — especially in areas we might loosely call “21st century learning.”

This summer I won't be learning how to be a better teacher

by | Jun 13, 2011 | Making The Shift, The How of 21st Century Teaching, Voices

And while school is almost over, my learning is not — because I’m connected. This summer for vacation, I don’t plan to vacate or take a course that in the end would probably leave me tired and weary. Instead, I plan to spend the summer in artful restoration, through passionate, fun, deep learning. I won’t be learning how to be a better teacher. Those days are over. In reality, it’s not what my students need.

The Power of the Connected Classroom: Why and How I'm Teaching Social Justice

by | May 23, 2011 | Creating Global Classrooms, The Compelling Need for Change, The How of 21st Century Teaching, Voices

For me, this week is one of the most important weeks in the entire semester of English 10B. The reason? We begin to delve into a gamut of complicated, yet crucial human rights issues. To be honest, there is very little that I am more passionate about than social justice. And from what I’ve seen from this generation, for many of my students this is the “stuff” that matters… I teach to show my students that the bystander effect is lethal, often on a scale beyond our imagination.

Our New Classroom Challenge – the Vessay

by | May 18, 2011 | The How of 21st Century Teaching, Voices, Web Tools That Deepen Learning

So what is the vessay? It’s a VoiceThread persuasive essay. It will require a thesis that can be argued, transition words to make their writing fluid, and evidence from the text to support their point. Then they will need to find pictures to represent their argument and, finally, record it as a voicethread. I have no doubt in my mind that for many of my students this will be difficult. Forging into new territory can be hard work for all of us.